It’s not adding more hormones into your body like the birth control pill. It’s simply supporting your body’s natural functions.

To learn more about the pituitary gland and even see some visuals, check out this short video:

Vitex and Female Hormones

Women need a balance of estrogen and progesterone. It is common for estrogen to dominate the playing field, so to speak, and all sorts of hormonal issues can pop up – especially around your period.

Many uncomfortable – or even embarrassing – PMS symptoms can be alleviated with vitex. That’s because having too much estrogen makes that time of the month much worse.

Vitex helps your body find balance between the estrogen and progesterone, so if you suffer from PMS symptoms or even PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) symptoms, vitex may be the ideal, all-natural solution for you.

One study looked at 170 women around the age of 36. Half were given vitex; half were given a placebo. The vitex was shown to improve all sorts of PMS symptoms like irritability, anger, headache, bloating, and breast fullness.

Vitex can be especially beneficial for women who are coming off the birth control pill. It is normally for hormones to be all over the place for a while, and vitex aids in that transition. (But if you’re still on the pill, vitex won’t be helpful)

And women with endometriosis can find some symptom relief in this herb too.

But don’t think vitex is an overnight cure for all your hormonal problems. It’s slower than that. It takes time for it to really support your hormone balance.

Vitex and Fertility

Vitex is incredible at helping to bring about regular, consistent ovulation in women hoping to get pregnant. And studies show its effectiveness is particularly powerful for women who struggle with a luteal phase defect.

One study looked at an herbal blend that included vitex (it also had green tea and various vitamins and minerals). 93 women who were struggling with getting pregnant for 6 to 36 months were split into two groups. One group was given the vitex blend for three months; the other group was given a placebo. Here were the results:

26% of the vitex group was pregnant in three months

10% of the placebo group was pregnant in three months

So vitex can certainly help you make a baby – but what about when you are finally pregnant?

WebMD labels vitex as “possible unsafe” during pregnancy and suggests that women “don’t use vitex.” Their concern is vitex’s ability to interfere with hormones.

Then some suggest using vitex only through the early months to prevent miscarriage, though this has never been formally tested by science. The idea is that low progesterone during the first trimester can end in a miscarriage, so this progesterone-boosting herb can help.

Some European research showed that vitex use in early pregnancy (through month three) could prevent miscarriage without any dangers to the baby.

Original source: www.naturalfertilityinfo.com

They recommended stopping use at that 3-month point for two reasons:

Lactation could start too early

The placenta produces progesterone around month 3

But further research needs to be done to really prove this assumption.

As far as safety is concerned, you have the early lactation concern… but other than that, there isn’t much science pointing one way or the other. So while nobody says it’s necessarily bad for you, nobody also says it’s necessarily great for you.

“There is poor evidence based on theoretical and expert opinion and in vitro studies that chastetree may have estrogenic and progesteronic activity, uterine stimulant activity, emmenagogue activity and prevent miscarriages”

There has, however, been one vitex study with rats. The female rats were given up to 80 times the amount of vitex a human would ever been given. There were no differences in the offspring compared to the placebo rat group.

Even if it isn’t going to harm you and your baby, there may be no reason to continue taking it through your pregnancy. So at the end of the day, you are going to have to talk to your doctor about whether to continue vitex with your pregnancy – and the best time to have that discussion is before you’re pregnant.

How To Stop Vitex When You’re Pregnant

If you choose to stop taking vitex when you are pregnant, you may not want to just stop cold turkey. A sudden drop off could affect your hormones – something you don’t necessarily want while a baby is developing.

Natural Fertility Info recommends the following regimen for getting of vitex when you’re pregnant, but you should also talk to your doctor to learn his or her recommendations:

Get your hormone levels tested by your doctor or midwife

Then wean yourself slowly for 1 to 2 weeks

Get your hormone levels tested again

If your progesterone is too low now, your physician can recommend a natural progesterone cream replacement or another option

Other Side Effects and Notes about Vitex

Though vitex is generally considered quite safe, there are some important things to keep in mind:

Don’t take vitex if you have a history of depression.

Don’t take vitex if you have any psychotic disorder (like schizophrenia), as it can potentially alter your dopamine levels

Don’t take vitex if you have Parkinson’s disease

Ask your doctor before taking vitex if you have any sort of hormone-sensitive condition; this could include breast cancer, ovarian cancer, fibroids, and even endometriosis, etc.

If you are taking vitex, absolutely talk to your doctor before you start in vitro fertilization. They may ask you to stop. And do not start taking it in the middle of an in vitro cycle.

You may experience some side effects when taking vitex, but they are honestly very uncommon. If you notice any of these side effects, talk to your doctor about whether or not vitex is still right for you:

Nausea or upset stomach

Rash or itching

Headaches

Insomnia

Weight changes

Do keep in mind that your period may change a bit when you first start taking vitex. This is normal. If it does not regulate itself in a few months, talk to your doctor.

Vitex and Your Pregnancy

So if you’re reproductive hormones are out of whack and you’re struggling with your periods… vitex may be a great choice for you.

If you are struggling to get pregnant, vitex may be a great choice for you too.

But once you are pregnant, you need to talk to your doctor about whether to stay on this herb.

Other than the possibility of maybe lowering your chance of miscarriage, it won’t have much use to you or your baby during the rest of your pregnancy.

Statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Eu Natural products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or health care professional.